Motorized Schuezten/ Panzergrenadiere tactics???

corporal · Post by **corporal** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 10:13 am

Motorized Schuezten/ Panzergrenadiere tactics

Hello,

I am looking for information or references on books, articles, web sources about tactics of motorized Schuezten/ later Panzergrenadiere / troops equipped with half-trucks Sd.Kfz-251.

Could you help me?

Best regards,

charlie don't surf · Post by **charlie don't surf** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 10:34 am

try this for some interesting info on tactics.

http://www.miniatures.de/html/int/neu_list2de.html

regards

mdx · Post by **mdx** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 9:55 am

The introduction of half-tracked SdKfz 251 resulted from the direct consequence of Panzer warfare. Tanks became mobile striking power and infantry had to go with tanks into battles. A vehicle with cross-country mobility and basic protection from enemy infantry fire was required to meet the need for tank-infantry co-operation. Thus a new kind of vehicle was created for this purpose. However, German thought half-tracked SdKfz 251 was a troop carrier in early war time year. They just picked up the Schuetzen and followed tanks into battles. Schuetzen had to dismount to provide cover for tanks. After years of struggles German finally realized the half-tracked SdKfz 251 was a

WEAPON

itself in 1942. A new doctrine was introduced for the motorized Schuetzen in Panzer-Division and these Schuetzen was also renamed as Panzergrenadier, thus riding on half-tracked SdKfz 251 that also renamed as Schuetzenpanzerwagon 251 (SPW251). The driver was trained to use the SPW251 as a WEAPON and the Panzergrenadier squad was riding and fighting on the SPW251 or they could dismount if necessary. The Panzergrenadier was also trained to jump up and down from the SPW251 during movement. The standard Panzergrenadier squad had one SPW251 and 12 men with one squad leader (usually an NCO), one deputy squad leader, one driver, one assistent driver (also radio operator) and 8 Panzergrenadiers. They had three MG, one as front bord MG, one as rear AA-MG, and one as spare MG. The MG gunner 1 operated the front bord MG and MG gunner 2 operated the rear AA-MG while they fought on SPW251. The MG gunner 1 took the spare MG and MG gunner 2 took the rear AA-MG while they fought dismounted. The assistent driver then took the front bord MG to cover rest of the squad while they fought dismounted. The squad leader would remained on the SPW251 to direct the covering fire from front bord MG and the deputy squad leader led rest of the squad dismounted.

Dr.Chuang, MD and MSc
Taipei, Taiwan
Panzergrenadier Site http://www.geocities.com/mdx.geo/

corporal · Post by **corporal** » Thu Oct 10, 2002 4:10 am

Dear Dr.Chuang,

Many thanks for your answer.

A also visited your Panzergrenadier Site and I liked it very match. I wish you to continue your work keeping the same level of knowledge.

There are a lot of book titles at your site. What could you recommend on my subject (tactics of troops with Sd.Kfz -251).

Have read anything from the following list:

Fleischer, Wolfgang: "Die motorisierten Schutzen und Panzergrenadiere des deutschen Heeres, 1935-1945. Waffen-Fahrzeuge-Gliederung-Einsatze", Podzun Pallas Verlag, Wolfersheim, 2000,

Riemann, Horst: "Deutsche Panzergrenadiere",
Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Herford, 1989,

Scheibert, Horst: "Panzergrenadiere, Kradschutzen und Panzeraufklarer 1935 - 1945", Podzun Pallas Verlag, Friedberg, ca. 1984,

Lucas/Cooper: "Panzergrenadiere im 2.Weltkrieg",
Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 1.Auflage, 1981,

Redmon/Cuccarese: "Panzergrenadiers in action", Broschur, Squadron/Signal Publications, (engl.) Carrollton, Texas, USA, 1980,

Senger-Etterlin,F.: "Die Panzergrenadiere, Geschichte und Gestalt der
mechanisierten Infanterie 1930 - 1960", Lehmanns Verlag, Munchen, 1961

Best regards,

P.S. Just in case you missed some other web sources on the subject:

http://www.freundeskreis-panzergrenadiere.de/c.htm
a page of a German site with brief history of panzergrenadiere up to 1945

http://www.hq.wwiionline.com/articles/i ... tank.shtml
German Infantry-Tank Cooperation. Excerpt from TM-E 30-451, Handbook on German Military Forces

mdx · Post by **mdx** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 6:59 pm

I didn't put German literiture in my site because the site has an associated program with Amazon and Amazon has very few German literiture. Horst Scheibert's "Panzergrenadiere, Kradschutzen und Panzeraufklarer 1935 - 1945" in English edition is the first book I red for this subject. The book is a pictorial history rather than written history for this subject. Redmon/Cuccarese's "Panzergrenadiers in action" is also a photo albumn. The lateast English title for this subject is "Fighting Techniques of a Panzergrenadier: 1941-1945" by Matthew Hughes and Chris Mann, published by MBI. The book has a good coverage from the idea, development, formation and tactic of Panzergrenadier but the sections about their equipment and organization is less correct and detail. As for other German literiture I recommend Wolfgang Fleischer's "Die motorisierten Schutzen und Panzergrenadiere des deutschen Heeres, 1935-1945. Waffen-Fahrzeuge-Gliederung-Einsatze". It has far more better information than other literitures published during 1960s and 1980s. If you look for a simple and direct relationship between the tactic and SPW, I think the "The SDKFZ 251 Half-Track 1939-1945" published by Ospery has the best answer.

I have to admit that I have not updated my site for several months or even longer because I have several projects to carry on including a story for German 106. Panzer-Brigade "Feldherrnhalle", a new series of book for German motorized infantry, motorcycle infantry and Panzergrenadier in Chinese language, and the reconstruction of early KStN used by these motorized units. Karsten Jahn, the author of the Panzergrenadier story in the Freundeskreis der Panzergrenadiertruppe e.V. site and also an active Panzergrenadier officer in Bundeswehr, has made contact with me for several years and he helped me a lot to locate the Panzergrenadier veterans. I just do not have time to put these links on my site.

I will add these links during my next update. Thank you very much!

charlie don't surf · Post by **charlie don't surf** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 1:32 am

I didn't like Fighting Techniques of a Panzergrenadier: 1941-1945, it was very shallow and most of the information in the book is available online. The squadron/ signal book is much better altough it's only a photo-book.

regards

mdx · Post by **mdx** » Fri Nov 01, 2002 9:03 am

I agree with you. The "Fighting Techniques of a Panzergrenadier: 1941-1945" is too shallow for this topic.

Dr.Chuang, MD and MSc
Taipei, Taiwan